UK Centre for Intelligent Design claims it will focus on science, not religion

The Centre for Intelligent Design features a video introduction from Dr Alastair Noble, who has argued that ID should not be excluded from the study of origins. He says, among other things, that he is part of a network of people who are “dissatisfied with the pervading Darwinian explanation of origins and are attracted to the much more credible position of intelligent design” and criticise the “strident strain of science” that says the only acceptable explanations are those depending on “physical and materialistic processes”.

So here we have yet more proof that smart people can come out with amazing degrees of stupidity.

Bollocks to their claim that they will focus on science and not religion, thats either an outright lie or an example of gross deception. ID is a religious belief, there is not one single jot of credible evidence for it. Every time they tout yet more claims, “real” scientists explain with a lot of patience why its not credible. These folks are frantically scrabbling about looking for evidence to justify their delusional beliefs that a supernatural entity poofed the world into existence.

Note that in the video referenced above they are apparently “attracted to the much more credible position of intelligent design” … really!!! much more credible, OK, lets step back and think about this for a moment …

Number of scientific papers published in credible peer-reviewed journals that support evolution = <way too many to count>

Number of scientific papers published in credible peer-reviewed journals that support ID = ZERO

And thats a far more credible position!!! these folks are quite frankly completely nuts.

OK, lets think about their credentials for a moment. Their video is introduced by a Dr Alastair Noble, so should we assume that he is active in the scientific community, and is quite familiar with the current conversation? Nope, not at all, he is simply a high-school chemistry teacher who now works as a field officer for a Christian organization. (Click here for details). So here we have in effect an active Christian missionary as the front man claiming that ID is scientific, yet he himself has not been active in the scientific community. This is quite frankly best described as lying for Jesus … its gross deceit and fraud to mask belief driven nonsense as science.

Do not misunderstand me here, I’m not arguing for censorship, my objection is aimed towards the deceit and the lies that claim that this ID bollocks is science … its not.

Dr Nobel claims …

The debate about ID is quite difficult to elevate to a civilised conversation. It’s not about religion, it’s about evidence.”

Nope, thats a complete lie, its not about evidence, there is none, zero, zilch … all you are left with is belief. I do however like the Guardian article, it finishes like this …

I asked Michael Reiss professor of science education at the Institute of Education in London what he thought about the Centre for Intelligent Design. He replied: “In a free society it is important that organisations that do not accept the scientific theory of evolution are allowed to exist and to proclaim their message. However, the overwhelming scientific consensus is that the arguments against the theory of evolution put forward by creationists and those who advocate intelligent design (ID) are invalid.

I also note that these ID folks have Prof Mike Behe doing a lecture tour soon. He is a fellow of the Discovery Institute, a group of US based ID nutters that this UK centre claims to have no connection with. Behe is famous for his testimony in the court case Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District that resulted in a ruling that intelligent design was religious in nature. Oh and least you wonder about his credentials, heis currently a Professor of Biochemistry at Lehigh University. Due to Behe’s views on evolution, the university exhibit the following disclaimer on their website:

While we respect Prof. Behe’s right to express his views, they are his alone and are in no way endorsed by the department. It is our collective position that intelligent design has no basis in science, has not been tested experimentally and should not be regarded as scientific

So don’t let the fact that they can conjour up a Professor of Biochemistry to come tout the long discredited idea of irreducible complexity, his position is not scientific fact, its religious, thats both a formal ruling from the Dover trial, and also the official position of his University.

If curious to understand what irreducible complexity is and why it is complete nonsense, then click here to read the Wikipedia article.